Chapter 2065: 折天神国

Yun Che thought for a moment, then smiled. "Such a major event as 'calamity to the world' can wait for now. First, I need to win over my future father-in-law. Otherwise, if I can't even 'corrupt' you, the Heavenshifting Goddess, thoroughly, how can I possibly bring ruin to the entire Abyss?"

Hua Caili's hand, wrapped tightly around his waist, gave a gentle pinch to his lower back, a mix of shyness and playful annoyance. "You've already... corrupted me so much, and you say it's not thorough enough? Hmph, if my father god ever found out about the bad things you've done to me, he'd surely break your legs first."

"...Is it too late for me to run away now?" Yun Che feigned fear.

Hua Caili leaned forward, pressing even closer to him. "Hehe, of course, it's too late. Even if you really tried to run, Aunt would catch you and bring you back."

Hua Qingying: (No, she wouldn't)...

"Ah," Yun Che sighed softly, as if concerned about his fate. But then, he immediately shed his deliberate expression, his gaze becoming gentle yet firm. "Actually, I'm not afraid at all. Even if your father god really intends to break my legs, it would be deserved... Caili, as long as you're by my side, I can face anyone and anything without fear."

"I... I know," Hua Caili's eyes softened at his sudden heartfelt words.

"So," Yun Che said, "you're not angry anymore, are you?"

"Huh?" Hua Caili blinked, then playfully swatted him. "I stopped being angry the moment I saw you. I just wanted to see how you'd comfort me. And then you went and called yourself a Devil Master..."

She lay against Yun Che's chest, seemingly trying to suppress her laughter.

"Then... in the future, when you're angry, how would you most like me to comfort you?" Yun Che asked.

Hua Caili thought for a moment, then looked up. "I want to play in the snow."

"Alright."

Yun Che gently raised a hand, and immediately, snow began to fall, blanketing the area around them with a thick layer in an instant.

Hua Caili gave an excited cry, released Yun Che, and threw herself into the pure white snow. She kicked off her shoes, slipped off her stockings, and walked in the snow, leaving behind tiny footprints.

After playing for a while, she lay back, letting her entire body sink into the snow, allowing its chilling coolness and purity to envelop her. A sigh of contentment escaped her lips: "If only everything in the world were as simple and pure as snow."

Her words caused a momentary ripple in Yun Che's heart... Yes, if only all people and things were that simple.

She lay in the snow, her beautiful eyes narrowed, her slender legs bent. Her fair, exquisitely curved feet, whiter than the snow itself, swung up and down, kicking up flakes of snow dust.

Yun Che watched her intently, his gaze unknowingly lost in a trance. When he snapped back to reality, those delicate, jade-like feet were already in his hands, soft and smooth to the touch.

"Mm... that tickles a bit," Hua Caili giggled, wriggling her feet further into Yun Che's embrace, feeling his fingers slowly trace the graceful curve of her calves.

"..." Yun Che instinctively averted his gaze.

Despite having always built an unbreakable barrier deep within his soul, the dangerous feeling of being gradually drawn in was becoming more frequent... He couldn't deceive himself. It didn't matter if it tore his heart and soul, he absolutely couldn't...

Amidst his swirling thoughts, her soft voice drew near. He was suddenly tackled by Hua Caili, who had sprung up, and they both fell into the snow together.

Their eyes met. Her beautiful gaze seemed to hold misty ripples that could make one lose their soul. Her jade lips curved in a slight smile, as delicate as a newly bloomed flower, yet outlining a captivating charm that belonged only to him, one that even a thousand fields of flowers couldn't rival.

She didn't get up, simply pressing down on Yun Che. Her eyes shone with brilliance, and a soul-stirring whisper, utterly unbefitting a Heavenshifting Goddess, escaped her lips: "Today, I want to be in the snow."

The falling snow condensed, instantly forming a four-sided snow curtain, shrouding the space around them. The white snow reflected shimmering light, like the nascent moonlight, bearing endless sanctity, illuminating every speck of impurity beneath the snow curtain...

The Evernight Divine Kingdom.

The hall doors were slowly pushed open. This was the main divine hall of the Evernight Divine Kingdom, yet it was as dark and deathly silent as the bottom of a hellish prison. Even a Half-God stepping into this place would be chilled into holding their breath.

A woman slowly walked in, her face pale, her body covered in bloodstains. Despite this, her steps were still light, and she desperately tried to keep her weak breathing steady. Amidst the suffocating oppressive atmosphere, she stopped, then slowly knelt. "Wuyi... greets Mother God."

The black curtain was violently torn open, and a terrifying blast of air surged out, slamming fiercely into Shen Wuyi. Shen Wuyi spat out a stream of blood, sent flying directly towards the hall entrance.

"You still remember to come back? Wuyi, you're truly excellent. Now even you... have started disobeying my orders!" The hoarse voice was incredibly harsh and unpleasant, each word like a knife gouging out internal organs.

It took a long time for the already severely wounded woman to struggle back to her feet. Yet, she didn't utter a single groan of pain. Instead, she knelt once more. "Wuyi returned ninety-seven hours late and is willing to accept any punishment. I only ask Mother God to permit Wuyi a few words..."

"Silence!"

The terrifying voice pierced her ears. "Regardless of the reason, this is your first time disobeying my command! At this rate, you seem to want to become the second Shen Wuqing!"

"Wuyi absolutely has no such intention!" Shen Wuyi hurriedly replied. "Mother God is Wuyi's only family in this life. Wuyi's heart and soul can only hold Mother God alone for all eternity. How could I possibly..."

"Get out! You will soon learn the price of disobedience."

"Yes." Shen Wuyi bowed respectfully. "Please, Mother God, calm your anger. Do not let your anger over Wuyi's mistake harm yourself."

"Get out!!" From behind the curtain came a roar that would make even ghosts tremble.

Shen Wuyi dared not speak further. She bowed again, then slowly, dragging her heavily wounded and blood-stained body, retreated from the Evernight Divine Hall.

Soon after she exited the hall, a woman in black robes flew swiftly towards her from the air. Seeing Shen Wuyi, she immediately descended and asked with concern, "Wuyi, are you alright...?"

Shen Wuyi's aura was extremely weak, and it was clear she had just sustained new injuries. The black-robed woman immediately understood what had happened, her expression becoming extremely complex.

"Aunt Youluan," Shen Wuyi said, maintaining her manners despite her severe injuries. "Wuyi's late return caused Mother God to be angry. Please, Aunt, comfort her well. If Mother God's heart is damaged by extreme anger because of Wuyi, Wuyi... will surely struggle to find peace for a long time."

There were no complaints, no claims of injustice, nor pleas for mercy. Her words and demeanor were solely concerned for the Mother God who had just injured her.

Shen Wuyouluan raised a hand and gently squeezed Shen Wuyi's wrist. "Your Mother God is just in a fit of anger; she'll be fine soon. You go heal your injuries first. Don't worry about the rest."

"Yes, thank you, Aunt Youluan."

Shen Wuyi slowly departed. Shen Wuyouluan watched her retreating back, silently sighing. However, unknown to her, the moment she turned around, the worry and trepidation in Shen Wuyi's eyes vanished without a trace. In her slightly lowered gaze, there was only a peace like still water.

"Your Holiness, Youluan requests an audience."

"Enter."

Shen Wuyouluan stepped into the dark, oppressive divine hall. Approaching the curtain, she bowed and said, "Your Holiness, I bring excellent news."

"Speak." The single, short word was like tearing metal, grating to the extreme. In other divine kingdoms, being granted an audience with a Divine Venerable was the highest honor. But in the Evernight Divine Kingdom, it was like the deepest nightmare.

Shen Wuyouluan presented a jade box with both hands. When it opened, it reflected a pure, dim light, like that of black obsidian. In the deathly silent hall, a few slightly heavier breaths were faintly heard, followed by a surge of power from behind the curtain, sweeping the jade box from Shen Wuyouluan's hands.

Immediately, a slightly trembling roar came from the darkness: "A complete... Obsidian Exorcism Crystal!"

"Yes!" Shen Wuyouluan immediately affirmed. "For years, we have searched all six divine kingdoms, and all the Obsidian Exorcism Crystals we found were incomplete. But this time, when Wuyi ventured deep into the Misty Sea, she unexpectedly encountered a Half-God Obsidian Beast."

Obsidian Beasts are not Abyss Beasts formed by profound beasts being corroded by Abyss Dust. Instead, they are pure Abyss Beasts directly condensed from Abyss Dust, rarely found, dwelling only in the depths of the Misty Sea, and far more terrifying than ordinary Abyss Beasts of the same realm. And the Obsidian Exorcism Crystal can only form within high-level Obsidian Beasts.

"Wuyi's training this time had already achieved three times the goal Your Holiness set. But for the sake of this Obsidian Beast, she continued to remain in the depths of the Misty Sea. With Wuyi's cultivation, she could only barely contend with this Obsidian Beast. Yet, if she struck too hard, she risked damaging the Abyss Crystal within it. If she held back, she would be putting herself in grave danger... Wuyi engaged it for a full half-month, suffering over a dozen severe injuries before finally defeating it."

Shen Wuyouluan sighed with emotion. "Perhaps due to Wuyi's profound devotion, this Obsidian Beast not only contained an Obsidian Exorcism Crystal, but it was also complete and flawless. When I found Wuyi, she had just obtained the crystal but was gravely injured. Fearing that her injured state might lead to unforeseen incidents, she entrusted the Obsidian Exorcism Crystal to me. I had just brought her back, and she, despite her injuries, was eager to come and beg for Your forgiveness."

Her only reply was a suffocating silence. She raised her head slightly and continued, "Thus, four of the six rare treasures recorded in the secret tome have been acquired. The day Your Holiness, the Nameless Divine Venerable, regains your sight is almost within reach."

The aura of the Obsidian Exorcism Crystal vanished, clearly having been collected by the Nameless Divine Venerable.

"Since that is the case, then dispatch more servants immediately to search for the remaining two rare treasures."

There was no praise, no commendation. Her tone remained icy and piercing.

"Yes," Shen Wuyouluan replied. She took a step back, and after a moment of visible struggle in her brows, she spoke again. "Your Holiness, Wuyi's late return was entirely for this Obsidian Exorcism Crystal. The three previous rare treasures were also obtained by Wuyi, who repeatedly risked her life for them. She truly values Your Holiness's safety far more than her own life..."

"Are you speaking on her behalf?"

The hoarse, cold voice abruptly amplified Shen Wuyouluan's unease. "No, Youluan merely..."

"You impudent fool!"

The curtain parted, and a blast of air fiercely struck Shen Wuyouluan's face. In the deathly silent divine hall, the sound of a fractured cheekbone echoed.

"The one thing I hate most in my life is betrayal! And the next step after disobedience is betrayal! Regardless of the reason, it is unforgivable!"

Shen Wuyouluan trembled as she rose, then knelt to the ground, not daring to attend to the injury on her face. "Your Holiness, please quell your anger. Youluan spoke out of turn."

"Get out. Inform Wuyi that she is confined to her own hall and is not to take a single step outside!"

"Yes." Shen Wuyouluan slowly retreated. Then, remembering something, she paused. "Your Holiness, Youluan has one more matter to report. It is now being widely rumored throughout the Misty Sea and surrounding realms that a person calling himself the 'Mist Emperor' has appeared in the Misty Sea..."

"Are you reporting such trivial matters to me?! Get out, now!"

Shen Wuyouluan dared not speak further, bowing and withdrawing. As she walked out, she kept her head deeply bowed, not daring to look up... because she feared that if she were to even slightly raise her head, the Nameless Divine Venerable's terrifying perception might detect the hatred buried deep within her eyes.

The divine hall returned to its deathly silence. But not long after, from behind the black curtain, the aura of the Obsidian Exorcism Crystal reappeared. A withered hand touched the Abyss Crystal, which shone with obsidian brilliance, stroking it repeatedly, almost greedily. Beside her hand, a thick, heavy secret tome lay quietly, with swirling Abyss Dust rising from it.

Returning to her own bedchamber, she found it equally dark and desolate. Although she was the Evernight Goddess, there was no one attending her. Her steps were slow, one by one, each one as evenly paced as if meticulously measured. In a moment, she stopped before a bronze mirror. Using the faint glimmer of light, she silently gazed at her reflection.

Who... am I...?Who exactly am I...?My talent surpasses everyone I've ever seen.My soul refuses to be beneath anyone.My cunning can be so... insane.Why is it that for someone like this, there is no trace of my past in this world?

And...She raised her hand, her slender fingers like jade, but at the very tips of those jade-like fingers, there was clearly... a faint ring of Abyss Dust swirling. Why am I able to... control Abyss Dust...?

Outside the hall door, a familiar aura approached, followed by the voice of its owner: "Wuyi, may I come in?"

The Abyss Dust on her fingertips silently vanished. A ripple of weakness from her severe injuries, along with a hint of sorrow, appeared on her otherwise expressionless face. "Aunt Youluan, please come in."

Shen Wuyouluan entered, quickly approaching Shen Wuyi. Her gentle aura swept over Shen Wuyi, and she felt a slight relief, then comforted her: "Wuyi, Your Holiness asked me to inform you that you are confined to this hall for three months as punishment."

"Ah?" Shen Wuyi looked up, a hint of surprise on her face. "This... is Mother God's punishment?"

"Yes," Shen Wuyouluan nodded, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Although Your Holiness is angry, everyone clearly knows your devotion to her, and she is well aware of it too. It's just that Your Holiness simply does not tolerate betrayal or defiance, which is why this punishment was given."

Shen Wuyi lightly pressed her lips together, taking a while to suppress her emotions. She then softly said, "Mother God's kindness to Wuyi is something Wuyi could never repay even in ten lifetimes. As long as Mother God's anger subsides, Wuyi is willing to bear any punishment, no matter how severe."

"Oh, you foolish child," Shen Wuyouluan patted Shen Wuyi's arm. "Your Holiness's message has been delivered. You should rest and heal your injuries. I won't disturb you anymore."

She turned, a flicker of heartache and complexity in her eyes.

Approaching the Heavenshifting Divine Kingdom, the concentration of Abyss Dust rapidly decreased. From afar, a massive barrier seemed to descend from the sky, covering the entire vast kingdom, separating the inside and outside into two distinct worlds.

The barrier of a divine kingdom was vastly different from those of various living lands. This one was built by the power of a True God, almost perfectly isolating Abyss Dust, making the Abyss Dust within the divine kingdom's borders so sparse as to be negligible.

Yun Che paused, looking into the distance, expressing all the exclamations appropriate for someone seeing a divine kingdom for the first time. They could have reached the Heavenshifting Divine Kingdom over a month ago. However, once faced with reality, everything afterwards became uncontrollable. Hua Caili had led him around and around until the deadline for her agreed return to the divine kingdom with her father god was almost upon them, forcing her to finally come here.

It was her most familiar homeland, yet for the first time in her life, she felt a trace of trepidation.

"Are you scared?" She turned, her eyes brimming as she looked at the man beside her, the man she had decided to spend her life with.

"A little," Yun Che replied in a relatively calm voice.

"Me too." Hua Caili gradually tightened her grip on Yun Che's hand, feeling the comfort emanating from him.